Foundations
by Loony-1995
Summary: Hermione's and Ron's fighting has been getting worse recently but neither of them is willing to let the other go. But is the love they once had still there? Song fic: Foundations - Kate Nash.


Another song-fic from me... I just can't seem to help it! It's mostly in Hermione's view but Ron's might show up :)  
Foundations by Kate Nash.

* * *

_Thursday night, every thing's fine, except you've got that look in your eye  
When I'm tellin' a story and you find it boring,  
You're thinking of something to say.  
You'll go along with it then drop it and humiliate me in front of our friends._

Hermione sat in her and Ron's living room, thinking she should be happy. It was one of their Thursday night gatherings which had been a small tradition for a few months now; they would all meet at one of the couple's house, share some food and drinks together to almost celebrate the fact that they as a group had all survived the War and were in good health.

Ginny, Harry, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, the Patil twins, Neville and Luna were all there s normal; most of the girls sat on the floor which their other halves took the sofas but Ginny had placed herself on Harry's lap. Her own boyfriend, Ronald Weasley, sat above Lavender – which Hermione did not like one little bit – in his favourite saggy armchair that he had taken from the Burrow when they brought this flat.

Just a minute ago, she had been telling one of her work stories which she personally thought was hilarious. But Ron didn't share the same view. He'd make some smart-arse comment about it and the others gave each other nervous glances; it was Ron so they wanted to laugh but Hermione's face almost angrily dared them too.

_Then I'll use that voice that you find annoyin' and say something like;_  
_"Yeah, intelligent input, darlin', why don't you just have another beer then?"_

'Lovely Ronald,' she only ever used his full name when she was annoyed and right now, she was pissed off. 'What an intelligent thing to say. Maybe you'd like another beer,' her tone was short and sharp.

And she threw the bottle with malice at Ron and if he wasn't the skilled keeper that he was, it would have smashed directly into his face.

_Then you'll call me a bitch_  
_And everyone we're with will be embarrassed,_  
_And I won't give a shit._

'Bitch,' muttered Ron loud enough for everyone to hear including Hermione; Lavender gave a snort of laughter and quickly tried to cover it up. Both Dean and Seamus used their beer bottles to hide their own smiles. Ginny and Harry looked awkwardly away and it seemed, that once again, Luna and Neville were ignorant to the frosty atmosphere that had just descended on the room.

It had been like this recently. The couple that everyone said would be the first to marry and the last to end had started to crack.

_My finger tips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation,  
And I know that I should let go,  
But I can't.  
And every time we fight I know it's not right,  
Every time that you're upset and I smile.  
I know I should forget, but I can't._

Hermione couldn't stand it.

She did love Ron, no matter what she said or acted like sometimes. She always had done and she had always known that she always would... but now she started to wonder if this love for Ron would really last.

She was always the first to apologise and the last to snap. She wondered if Ron still loved her like he used too and sometimes she wondered if he ever had.

The fights had become more regular and over the most stupid, tiniest things.

Ron had left for a week after they had had one fight about whether you put milk or water in first into a cup of tea. Pointless, little things that meant absolutely nothing on the grand scale of things but in those moments it seemed like they meant the world.  
_  
You said I must eat so many lemons  
'Cause I am so bitter.  
I said;  
"I'd rather be with your friends mate 'cause they are much fitter."_

Ron had had a very bad day a work... again. He was starting to wonder if the auror life was really the path of him; he had taken orders all his life and had taken them without complaint but now his anger would flare and he would lash out. He had just lost his pay for two weeks due to his latest outburst and the head aurors were warning him that he was close to being thrown out. The only reason he was still there was because he had helped greatly in the fight against Voldemort and because his best friend was Harry Potter.

'You're late,' shot Hermione as Ron walked through the door. He slammed it shut behind him; the last thing he needed today was a complaining, bitchy girlfriend.

He remembered the days when if he had walked through the door late and in a bad mood, Hermione would rush to him and wouldn't leave until she knew he was happy.  
He remembered the days when he had really loved her.

'Just shut up will you. I'm really not in the mood,' he threw his bag down in the middle of the corridor and sat down to begin taking off his boots.

'It's in my way,' Hermione glared and Ron did nothing but gave her a 'as-if-I-care' look. 'Move it.'

Ron still said nothing and went back to taking off his boots.

'What happened today then?' Her tone was as sharp as acid, not the caring and worried tone it had once been. She placed her hands angrily on her hips.

'I got my pay taken for two weeks.'

'That's fucking great isn't it! How are we going to pay this week's rent?'

'We can manage. We always do.'

'You always say that! I should have listened.'

'Listened to who?'

'Everyone who told me you were a loser and that I should have dated Harry.' Ron said nothing but he became more hurt than ever; Hermione didn't know that Harry may have been his best friend but he was always his biggest insecurity.

Ron stood up and began to walk into the kitchen hoping she would shut up but he had no such luck.

Hermione stalked behind him, stomping her feet as she went.

'Harry's smarter than you,' Ron's jaw clenched but he breathed and decided a sandwich would be good. Food always helped.

'Harry's nicer than you,' Ron's left fist curled but he breathed and pulled some bread from its bag.

'Harry's better looking that you,' Ron's body tensed but he breathed and pulled a knife from its drawer for the butter.

'Harry's a better kisser than you.'

_Yes, it was childish and you got aggressive,_  
_And I must admit that I was a bit scared,_  
_But it gives me thrills to wind you up._

Ron snapped.

In one swift movement, he grabbed the knife, pushed Hermione up against the wall she leaned on and held the knife to her throat.

That made her shut up.

'You say one more word about Harry and I _will _hurt you,' he growled, his voice was strangled by threat, hate and danger; Hermione didn't even dare blink.

Slowly, she raised her eyes from the knife to Ron's eyes. They usually sparkled a bright blue with light and happiness but they now seemed to be submerged in the darkness. What Hermione hadn't realised is that they had been that way for a month now.

As soon as Ron saw the fright and sadness in her brown eyes, he dropped her and the knife to the floor. As quickly as he had snapped into anger, he snapped out of it.

He bolted from the house, not bothering to shut the door behind him.

Hermione took a second to get her breath back and then, strangely considering what had just occurred, she smiled.

Adrenaline flowed through her blood like it had never done before. Her tame, safe life had never been known to a thrill like it – yes, she had faced death and death eaters but she had never felt safe with one just before it turned on her. That had been a new kind of thrill.

Watching Ron spin on her words gave her a feeling of power and thrill like she had never had before. It was so wrong but it felt so right.

_My finger tips are holding on to the cracks in our foundation,_  
_And I know that I should let go,_  
_But I can't._  
_And every time we fight I know it's not right,_  
_Every time that you're upset and I smile._  
_I know I should forget, but I can't._

It had begun lashing down with rain when Ron had run from the flat.  
He didn't know what had come over him but knew it had been building up inside him. But what if he hadn't stopped?

He knew he could never hurt Hermione but maybe he could, maybe if she pushed him that little too hard...

Their fighting was not right, he loved her. Well, he had loved her.  
But maybe him snapping was just his head trying to tell his heart that it loved her no more. He and his heart couldn't forget all of those love-filled moments they had had together; the quiet nights together, the stolen kisses, the longing looks... those memories had filled his heart with joy. But now that he thought of them, they were just memories. The emotions that he had once felt for them didn't come to him.

Now all he could think of was how much she annoyed him and how she put him down. She had_ always_ put him down. He remembered how when she had "failed" a test – she had lost only five marks on the whole thing – how he had smiled at this. He had liked to see her be proved wrong, those moments were some of the most precious of his Hogwarts life, almost as good as watching Malfoy be turned into the ferret he was. He knew it wasn't right to relish her mistakes and failings but it felt oh-so good to see her fall.

And now those feelings were returning to him.

The rain froze his clothes to his damp skin and he didn't have his coat on so his shirt became transparent and clung to his muscular chest and arms. But he didn't care.

As he walked, he smiled; thinking of her failing and her face when she did.

Then something hit him.

Ron should leave Hermione before his hate of her engulfed him.  
Ron needed to leave Hermione before he did something he might later regret.

_Your face is pasty 'cause you've gone and got so wasted, what a surprise!_  
_Don't want to look at your face 'cause it's makin' me sick._  
_You've gone and got sick on my trainers,_  
_I only got these yesterday._  
_Oh, my gosh, I cannot be bothered with this._

Hermione tried to forget what had happened earlier in the evening and carry on as normal.

She was just about to turn in for the night when there was a bash at her door. She grabbed her wand and called out.

'Oh, come on Her-mi-oney. Open the fucking door,' slurred a voice. Hermione rolled her eyes; Ron had gone drinking. No doubt he had called on Seamus and Dean, his usually drinking buddies.

'Please Hermione, take him off us,' laughed Seamus; he could hold his drink more than the other two boys – it was probably the Irish blood. 'I've still gotta take Dean home.'

Hermione unlocked the door and looked at the pathetic sight in front of her.

Poor Seamus stood with one of Ron's lanky arms draped around his shoulders. Ron was half-hung off of Seamus and to compensate for the height difference, he was half squatting as well; Ron did not look comfortable. His face was extremely pale and his usually light freckles stood out so much that they seemed like fire balls on his face. Dean was just sitting against a wall singing happily, not looking that worse for wear – why did she get the ugly drunk?

'Thanks Seamus, would you mind putting him on the sofa?' She smiled and thankfully Seamus nodded and threw Ron down. 'Thank you for bringing him home.'

'S'alright, I'll see you next Thursday,' he called as he dragged Dean up and began to pull him down the stairs.

Hermione shook her head at Ron. He was splayed out on the sofa, one arm and leg hanging off. She stood in front of him.

Suddenly he rolled off the sofa and was sick.

All over her new slippers.  
That she was wearing.

Sick slipped into her brand new slippers and onto her feet. She nearly screamed.

Ron however just laughed.

_Well, I'll leave you there 'till the mornin',  
And I purposely won't turn the heating on  
And dear God, I hope I'm not stuck with this one._

Hermione's face turned to stone and she couldn't be bothered with it anymore. Before she would have cleaned him up, given him a glass of water and a blanket but tonight she couldn't, she wouldn't. She refused to be the caring girlfriend she had always been.

'I'll just leave you there.'

And with that she turned away and made her way into their bedroom, making sure she locked the bedroom door behind her – she wasn't having a drunken Ron trying it on with her tonight.

That was another straw gone and burned.

_My finger tips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation,_  
_And I know that I should let go,_  
_But I can't._  
_And every time we fight I know it's not right,_  
_Every time that you're upset and I smile._  
_I know I should forget, but I can't._

Hermione trudged down the stairs, expecting to find her boyfriend hung-over on their sofa. She snuck into the kitchen and picked out a large metal saucepan and a wooden spoon, hoping to give Ron the wakeup call she thought he deserved.

She couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she made such noise when he had such a delicate night-after head. It would be such a great picture and again she was smiling at Ron's pain and she was going to be the one to cause it.

But as she walked into the living room, there was no Ron.  
Just a small patronus terrier curled up asleep on the sofa where Ron should have been.

She walked over to it and kneeled in front of the sofa and it.

'Hello?' She whispered for once not knowing what to say or do.

The dog stretched and then sat to look her eyes.

'Hello 'Mione,' the dog said in Ron's voice, it was weird yet it soothed Hermione in some strange way. 'My guessing is you're sitting there with a saucepan and wooden spoon all ready to wake me up,' it gave Ron's deep chuckle. 'But you can't and you won't. I might as well say it and get it over with; I've left you Hermione. The fights are getting worse and yesterday I held a knife up to your throat. I could have killed you. And I don't want to do that. This is no break Hermione. I've gone and I'm not coming back. Actually, I've even left the country,' Hermione just sat with her mouth open. 'Charlie's always said I could work at the reserve if I needed some time away from everyone. And I think it would be best if I did. Maybe one day we can get back together. But just not now. I don't think we were ever made for each other. We are two completely different people, two different personalities. You love what I hate and you hate what I love. They say opposites attract but they certainly can't live together,' Ron gave another small chuckle. 'I just couldn't say it to your face. You may think this is the drunk me talking but it's not. I am sober even if my head is smashing about like a hippogriff in a china shop,' Ron paused. 'You see Hermione. I don't love you like I used too,' he gave a sad laugh. 'I don't think I love you anymore full stop and I don't think you love me anymore either.'

'So I 'spose this is the end Hermione. Goodbye Hermione Granger, maybe, someday I'll see you again but hopefully not in the near future,' the little terrier raised its right paw up and seemed to wave at her.

Then the terrier faded in front of her face.

_And every time we fight I know it's not right,_  
_Every time that you're upset and I smile._  
_I know I should forget, but I can't._


End file.
